Appointments/ Quotes for customers

[Ryslack22]

Can anyone share how you work your appointments/quotes? Our owner currently does the day time apps and I do evenings however it will be down to myself soon and I am one of the main climbers so trying to find a balance for apps and tree work for myself. Wondering how other companies work this? Cheers 

[jfc]

Can anyone share how you work your appointments/quotes? Our owner currently does the day time apps and I do evenings however it will be down to myself soon and I am one of the main climbers so trying to find a balance for apps and tree work for myself. Wondering how other companies work this? Cheers 

Used to do them during lunch, evenings and weekends. Got fed up of doing 60hr weeks so now do 4 days on tools and an admin/quoting day. 45 to 50hr week instead now.

[Mark Bolam]

Try and glean as much info as you can from the initial call, and vet the jobs a bit before you start.

 

Obviously you need to look at every job, but it’s pointless wasting time looking at non-starters.

 

’My tree is very small’ - Explain that you have a minimum charge of £150 or whatever, they may be expecting it to cost £30.

 

’My tree is too close to power lines’ - Call UKPN, they don’t charge.

 

I saved a 12 mile trip this morning chatting to a lady who wanted some birches reducing, I told her to call me again in the autumn.

[bigtreedon]

[Hodge]

Interesting watch, I get what he is saying, it could filter out the time wasters. Im with Mr Bolam on his comment about getting as much info from the phone call/email as possible. This can help weed out the time wasters also.

[oldwoodcutter]

And if the conversation starts with ‘we are getting at least 10 quotes to prune our cherry tree’ deftly sidestep to the next enquiry on your list.

[Chipperclown]

I have just this year started asking people who contact me to what's app me photos and videos of the trees, its been very helpful.

 

Firstly those who bother to do so are then filtered out from those who can't be bothered.

 

Once I have looked at the pictures, I filter jobs I do not want. So therefore I either go and see the ones I want or just quote from the photos (with a few more questions answered).

 

I never thought I would do it this way but due to the workload going mad I really didn't have a choice.

 

I am happy it works.

[jfc]

I have just this year started asking people who contact me to what's app me photos and videos of the trees, its been very helpful.
 
Firstly those who bother to do so are then filtered out from those who can't be bothered.
 
Once I have looked at the pictures, I filter jobs I do not want. So therefore I either go and see the ones I want or just quote from the photos (with a few more questions answered).
 
I never thought I would do it this way but due to the workload going mad I really didn't have a choice.
 
I am happy it works.

I have quoted from photos but had a few underpriced jobs that way. Now I see them in person every time.
Photos are useful beforehand though.
J.

[Chipperclown]

Yep I get that that could happen. If in doubt I go along. Early days for me doing it this way, been ok so far but I am sure it won't always be perfect!

[Mick Dempsey]

In my early days over here I used to quote from photos a lot.

Most of my clients were expats, and lived a long way away, it just wasn’t viable to look at them all in person.

Worked well,  I’d say 98% went ok and done on budget.